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Randy Cassingham's BlogHistorical Details and Author's Notes from This is True® - the First For-Profit E-mail Publication (and Still Going Strong). |
Lolita Midsleeper Combi
I thought many readers would like to see the photos that go with a story from this week's issue, and maybe you will have examples of other "inappropriate" products, especially for children. First, the story:
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The staff of the U.K. branch of the Woolworths department stores didn't see anything wrong with the bedroom set designed for 6-year-old girls: it was dubbed the "Lolita Midsleeper Combi" and sold for 395 pounds (US$769) on the store's web site. The store refused to withdraw or rename the product because it wanted to "follow current trends," but a U.K.-based child-raising online forum continued to raise a fuss until the store bothered to investigate why "Lolita" might be an inappropriate marketing tactic. The 1955 book Lolita, which was adapted to film in 1962 and 1997, is about the narrator's sexual relationship with a 12-year-old girl. "We had to look it up" online to understand why shoppers were upset, a Woolworth's spokesman said, claiming no one knew who "Lolita" was. "We certainly know who she is now." The bed has been taken off the market, the spokesman confirmed. "We will be talking to the supplier with regard to how the branding came about." (London Times) ...Surely it was suggested by the children's department manager, Mr. Humbert.
The photos include a screen shot from the web offering (complete with typo):
While I was researching this, I found one blogger who particularly chuckled over the bit about the "perfect space-saving solution". Gee: why would a pedophile pay $769 for a bed when the real space-saving innovation would be to have the kid sleep in your bed with you? But that's not something I'd say....
The second shot is a close-up of the item:
What other inappropriate, absurd, perhaps even sexual item have you seen advertised for children? Tell me about it in the comments area. (I do have one other example from True: "pimp" and "ho" Halloween costumes -- for kids.)
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I've never read the book. I've never seen either of the two movies. But I've heard the name Lolita as a reference to sexually active preteens fairly consistently over the last 20 years.
I'm a big fan of Japanese animation and comics, and Loli-con (previously mentioned to be shorthand for Lolita complex) refers to a common fetish (often sexual) based around preteen or preteen-appearing girls.
From there it's grown to a full fashion trend with Loli style clothes being notably frilly, often with lots of bows, ruffles, and lace; usually in pale colors.
A popular offshoot (also mentioned by another poster) is G-Lol, which is the Goth Loli craze which takes the basic Loli style and recolors it with blacks and deep reds and other colors, and sometimes makes the clothes a little more daring, but still nothing that would be unreasonable.
Culturally speaking, naming anything aimed at young girls in Japan "Lolita" would just be an indication of style. In the US and UK (among other places), it's not a name that conjures up anything you want to associate with your daughters.
Posted by: Andara, California | March 1, 2008 3:34 AM
My daughter (age 11) is a huge fan of Japanese anime, manga and rock music. I am more traditionally Euro-American in my reading and musical tastes. So you can imagine the mental picture that went through my head when my daughter first asked for a Lolita outfit. Needless to say, I have been culturally educated - but she still doesn't have a Lolita.
Posted by: Jeannie, Ohio | March 8, 2008 9:32 PM
This brings to mind my mindset when I first saw children running around in Aeropostale brand clothing... a store long-associated with men's clothing and pornography.
No, my 11-year old daughter does not have any, though her cousins do.
Sigh
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What, she prefers French Connection UK stuff? Their logo, of course, is "FCUK". -rc
Posted by: Theresa in Rhode Island | May 3, 2008 9:10 AM